Surly Big Dummy Cargo Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB, Schlumpf Speed Drive, and S&S couplers

When a customer told us he was planning to tour through Europe on a cargo bike, we knew we were in for a fun and unique project. Cargo bikes are perfect for hauling plenty of gear, but can be cumbersome on long distance rides or hilly terrain - not to mention a challenge to get through an airport. While our customer was not concerned with riding fast, he said he wanted a cargo bike that was comfortable, durable, and versatile enough to get him and his gear across a continent. The whole bike needed to easily pack up to fit on planes and trains, and would also serve as his daily commute vehicle when he returned from his trip. After a few conversations with our customer about his needs, we set to work planning out a build that would meet his criteria. His unique riding needs were a natural fit for a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub and Schlumpf Innovations Speed Drive two speed internal crankset, which together provide a reliable, wide gear range drivetrain that is perfect for hauling heavy loads across long distances.

Rohloff-Equipped Surly Big Dummy Cargo Bike

Surly Big Dummy Rohloff cargo bike

We recently completed a Rohloff SPEEDHUB conversion on this Surly Big Dummy cargo bike for a customer in Sacramento, CA.  He wanted a bike that offered reliable around town transportation and hauling with the ability to handle off-road touring.  He found a used, mostly stock Big Dummy on Craigslist and dropped it off with us to strip the drivetrain and replace it with a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 system.  He was drawn to the SPEEDHUB for its ability to handle the high torque produced when hauling heavy loads in a low gear, not to mention the durability and reliability to circumnavigate the globe. To see another Rohloff equipped Big Dummy being ridden tens of thousands of miles around the world, check out photos from Juan Martinez!

This bike uses an idler wheel to take up chain slack without the use of a conventional derailer-style tensioner

For the rear wheel, we kept the stock Salsa Gordo rim and replaced the Deore hub with the Rohloff Speedhub. We trimmed the DT Swiss spokes in our spoke machine to fit the larger hubshell dimensions of the Rohloff. The front Deore/Salsa Gordo wheel is stock.